87
CASE OF CONVICT 1174
(Continued from Page 1)
Once in the bus, he tried to re- call, the day on which he enter- ed the prison. A beautiful wo- man with a green parasol had said in parting, "So long, Fletch
be game."
He pressed his lips together.
The bus stopped at the little railroad station. The yellow- gray penitentiary, a mile away, was the only building in sight.
He suddenly heard the shriek- ing of a whistle. The train stop- ped at the station. The ex-convict climbed hastily aboard and fell into a rear seat. The conductor. looked at him knowingly, punch- ed his ticket, and went on.
As
if conscious that all eyes were upon him, he covered his face with his hands and peered out of the window.
He reveled in anticipation un- til the train reached the city.
With five dollars of prison money he entered a restaurant. Food was never so delicious be- fore. He lingered over the meal, ordered a second cup of coffee, and asked for a cigar. The fra- grant smoke made him gasp. His change was three and a half.
Leaving fifty cents on the table, he went to a small hotel, paid in advance for a room and stretched upon the bed.
Sudden as a stroke, of paraly- sis, came intense melancholy. Pulse, heart and temples throb- bed with pain. He buried his face in the pillow.
he
“I'll wait till to-morrow,' thought. "It's only twenty miles." He left the room af daylight and hurried by street car to where he had hidden the money.
At the end of five days he still haunted the environs in search of a spot that grew more and more vague in his mind.
Rows of houses now stood where a grove of eucalyptus trees had grown near the sea. After hours of aimless wandering, he gazed forlornly about, then fell on his knees and pawed the ground.
I know
I
"It's further down
it's in a metal box
just a little time's all it takes just a little time
can't miss it
it'll not be long now just a little time."
He stood erect with an effort of will. I can't miss it-I'm just too impatient.”
I'll
"I'll sleep for a while find it in the morning."
He could not sleep. He sat erect-looked at the moon-wash- ed Pacific, then drowsed again to the earth,
“I'll find it in the morning—” The words droned, tired, in his brain.
He arose at dawn and started toward a clump of rock-bordered trees.
With hands. behind his back, eyes upon the ground, he paced back and forth.
The sun pushed upward. Still he walked with eyes gazing downward.
"His mouth twitched nervously. His hands seemed forever weld- ed. He fell to his knees at a slight declivity in the earth and scraped a deep hole in the ground-then rose with despair in his eyes.
He looked toward the west.
Maybe it was down that way further near the
town." He
West
walked in that direction. Would he ever find it? **Twenty-four years good God!"
His gait quickened.
A lizard sunning itself on a rock rattled the dry leaves in sliding quickly away. ·
"Now I'll find it." His burning eyes followed the darting lizard.. "It's leading the way."
He trotted ahead and fell to his knees suddenly. The roar as of many oceans came to his ears. Blue and green shadows danced before his eyes.. A blinding achè came to his temples. He pressed his benumbed hands against them. His deep sunken eyes burned. He ran swiftly in an effort to drive the pain from his bead. It pounded harder at the base of his brain.
He rushed to a large rock, near which the warden stood. With hands outstretched, he shouted, "You followed me!" The warden vanished. He called three times, "Warden! Warden! War- den!"
The ache became worse. He re- moved his hands, opened his eyes and pierced the scene with laugh- ter. It startled the sea gulls above him. "I got it! I got it! I got it!" he shouted. "Put some pebbles on your hand-slap them with your finger, whichever way the pebbles go there your trea- sure is."
Reverting to the days his childhood, he followed the direc- tions. When his right finger tried to strike the palm of his left hand, he tottered and fell.
"I see it now-it's right over there."
He rose and walked toward a grove of trees. that waved grace- fully. For an hour he went în a circle.
"A long ways farther than I thought." He sank to the ground exhausted. The sun burned in his staring eyes. ·
There was no sound but a rum-
THE CHINA MAIL THURSDAY SUPPLEMENT, APRIL 1, 1987
North
Bridge Problem
The bidding (both sides vulnerable):
South
14 3.4
4 no trumg
West
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
North
Pass
East
Pass
Pass
Pais
Pass
7 no trump South's last bid was a clear case of “neck stretching." But strangely enough, he could make his contract against almost any. opening lead, whereas seven hearts could not be made. How did South have to play his grand slam against the opening lead by West of the heart nine?
ANSWER: Dummy wins lead and must not com tinue running bearta? Club is fed, East plays nitie spot, declarer wigs and casbes three other top clubs, discarding diamonds from dummy, then, befarm returning to dummy's hearts, caahes the spade aca. Heart sult is run off until duminy holds spade queen, one Keart, and one diamond. East bolde que632-848- of diamonds and high club. Declarer holda sco-jack of diamonds and low club: West, spade king and king-nine of diamonds. On last heart East must discard diamond to protect club; West must discard diamond to protect spade. Declarer'a ace-jack of diamonds are therefore good. An original diamand lead would have broken up this double squeere.”
South
ble from the sea. It now stood perpendicular. The sand from its shores fell into his eyes. -Thousands of convicts dressed in black climbed up the white surg- ing waves like toy monkeys on a string. All was -now" silent as a shadow on a gallows. The convicts grew
larger than mountains in the water. Their hands spread miles wide they climbed higher and higher. In an aperture between the sea and the sky, they were lost to sight for a second. Then down- ward they scrambled through the silently surging ses.
as
Transparent as glass was the water. Its millions of inhabit- ants, whales, sharks, swordfish, and seemingly endless reptiles whirled about in maddening còn- volutions. The convicts became guards. Riding their clubs, they swished through the water like the witches of his childhood "on broomsticks in the air. Around their throats were necklaces of metal boxes.
"Good God in Heaven they've got my money?”
and He ran bareheaded screaming, through the brilliant sun scorched day. Exhausted, he fell, with the crashing roar of waters. In his eyes was the va- cancy of lost illusion. His mouth, wide open, was now a circle of agony.
He ran to the town. He saw.
electric are light shining at the end of a street around which many sea gulls, flew. With burn- -ing eyes, he gazed at the flying
birds. Their raucous cries mad- dened him. At last he saw the gull that had perched on his window years before. It stopped in mid-air and looked at him.
Ifia laughter startled people in nearby houses.
“You funny old bird, you've been away a long time. Just like
we've both been away. The bird started flying. The man
me
"
East
"You'll never leave me again—I'll kill you first.. I'm not going to lose you ever He threw many rocks again." into the vacant air. They rat tled against houses.
became enraged.
A crowd gathered about him. Two policemen arrived. He looked at them earnestly. See that bird there, guards?. It's fly- ing away—just like it did before. You see that girl-She said she couldn't live without me but she did. But now I got it all back they're see my pockets lined with gold. It laid out there in a metal box under a rock. I hid it so's no one could find it. You see, guards, I'm free now. I've got a pardon in full. I don't have to mind you now. I'm a free man, don't you see? And I can throw stones at that bird if I want to. It's my bird and my land, She's coming back too soon as she can get a boat that's big enough.”
"Won't you walk with us?”? asked one of the officers. "We'll go down here a ways and talk
The things over.
bird'll follow us, and so will the people here. See." he pointed, "the bird is leading the way. Let's follow.”
He walked quietly between His them. uttering no word. mouth was closed tightly. His hands were behind his back. His eyes stared at his feet in the man- ner of one in a deep hypnosis.
The desk sergeant searched hìm. He did not move. Still dazed, he went with the officers down a hallway, An iron door opened.
"Over here, brother," said one. of the men, "You can lay down an' rest.” He led him to an fron cot "Sleep here awhile. « you'll be better in the morning.” He fell limply forward, gave, deep sigh, and was still.
The door clanged.
"Crazy as a loon," said one of the policemen.